Cushioning unit for vehicle tires



une 7 1927. J H. ZUBROW ET AL cusmonme UNIT FOR vmu'cm TIRES 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 14. 1926 Y anvewtow Jun 7,1927 1,631,447

H; ZUBROW ET AL- CUSHIONING UNIT FOR VEHICLE TI RES Filed Jan. 14, 19252 she ts-sheet 2 wuemliozd Patented June 7, 1927. I

uni-rs V sta"rsE fSi' eater HEDWIG zunaow AND EMIL SOLOMON, or'rnrnannnrnm, rnNNsYLvA IA.

GUVSHIION'ING" UNIT non m on TIRES.

Applicati o n filed January 14, 1926. Serial mfsmsa' substantially thesame cushioning qualities possessedby the ordinary pneumatic tire. Theinvention seeks, as'a further. object, to provide a device which may bereadily mounted upon conventional rims and which may be used in,connection with conventional tire casingsas commonly employed. v

And the invention seeks, as a still further object, to provide a devicewhich will be comparatively simple in, its construction and whereinprovision will'be made for protecting the tire casing against injury bythe device;

7 Other objects of the invention not specifically mentioned 'intheforegoing will appear during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation showing our. improved cushioning unit 1nconjunction with a conventional rim and tire casing, parts being brokenaway and shown in sec tion. Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentarysectional view particularly showing the arrangement of the cushioningsprmgs em ployed.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view, on v the line 33 of. Figure 2,looking in'the direction indicated by the arrows.

Figure 41 is a fragmentary perspective view looking at one end of the.cushioning unit, the flexible retaining cover for the tread springsbeing broken away.

Figure 5 is a detail sectional view show ing the normal position of theanchoring lugs at the ends of the inner clamping band of the unit. v

Figure 6 is a transverse sectional view on direction indicated by thearrows.

I In carrying the invention into effect, we

employ a split inner clamping band 10. This hand is preferably formed ofa resilient metal strap bent'into shape so that, as will 7 be seen, theband produced is split at one point only. Formed on the ends of'the bandis a pair of inwardly directed radial lugs 11 having fiat inner faceslying flush with the end edges of the band While the outer faces oftheLugs are rounded and screw threaded. The lugs are thus adapted to mateto. form a cylindrical stem, and iengageable over said stem is a cap 12internally threaded to engage the threads of the. stem, the cap beingprovidednt its outer end with a wrench receiving head 13. I

R' -'v.ete o O herwi e fixed to-the band 10, at suitably spaced points,are radiallyprojjecting studs 14,, and tightly engaged at pered loadsustaining springs .15., The

springs" 16, these tread springs preferably their smaller ends over saidstuds are ta-- flattransversely and being tapered at their end portions.:RIVGtGCl or otherwise fixed to .the treadlsprings at points midwaybetween the nds her f tfidSplZYa -d; a w be observed, theouter-'endsbf-the load spring 5'v are t e' ltlye gag d' bput sai S uds.r onnect ng the and, sp i gs; w th V the load springsn Overlyingltheitread pri gs sa plitanmi at e a n g co 18 This retaining coveris shaped"t ansversely to conform to the shape of the springs 16 and ispreferablyof rubber, the cover possessing suflicient elasticity to freely flex andstretchwith the movement of the springs 16. Preferably, these springsare embedded in the cover at its inner side so that the coveris-thussecurely connected to said springs.

In Figures 1, 2 and 3' of the drawings, we

have shown our improved cushioning unit J 111 connection with aconventional wheel IIII] 19 and, tire casing 20, the rim'being provldedwith the usual valve recelvlng opening 21. Initially, the clamping bandlO is positioned about the rim medially thereof,

when the lugs 11 are, as shown'in'Figure 5, inserted through the opening21 of the rim. These lugs are normallyv tilted with respect to theendsof the band so that, when the band is thus initially applied abouttherim,

' the lugs'will, as brought out inFigure 5,

converge toward their free ends into abutting relation. The cap 12isthen engaged over the free ends of said lugs and screwed thereon forshifting the lugs ,into abutting relation throughout their length, asshown in Figure 2, and, contracting the band 10 tightly about the rim'.The clamping band will-thusbe rigidly secured upon the rim; while thelugs 11 will coact with the wall of the opening 21 of the rim forlimiting the hand against creeping. The casing 18 then applied about therim over the cushioning means and engaged with the rim 1n the usualmanner. As willbe observed upon reference to Figure 3, the clamping band10 is of a width to be snugly received between the beads of the tirecasing and while, in the present instance, we have shown our improvedunit in connection with a rim of the clincher type still, it is to beunderstood that the unit may also be employed with equal facility inconnection with rims of other types. I

- It is now to be observed that the cushioning unit will normally holdthe tire casing 20 distended so that externaliv the tire will have thenormal appearance of an ordinary pneumatic tire. In other words, whenthe tire casing is applied,the load springs 15 are normally compressedsomewhat by the casing While the tread springs are also contracted. Bothsets of springs are thus held under. compression by the tire casing fornot only maintaining the casing distended but also maintaining thecasing in firm engagement with the rim. Accordingly, as the tirerevolves, the springs 15 will flex for yieldably supporting andcushioning the load while, likewise, the tread springs 16 will also flexfor yieldably supporting and cushioning the load auxiliary to thesprings 15; and since the retaining cover 18 lies be tween the treadsprings and the tire casing,

disposed tread springs carried by said load c springs, and a casingengaged with the rim to enclose-said springs and normally held distendedthereby.

'2. A split rim of a size to lit about a carrying rim, said rim havingreduced ends bent to form lugs projecting inwardly and adapted to bepassed through an opening in the c carrying rim the lugs beingsemicircular 1n cross section and threaded and cooperating with eachother to form a threaded stem circular in cross section, and aninternally threaded fastener screwed upon said stem and retaining thelugs forming thesame in close contacting relation to each other with,

the rim in tight binding engagement with the carrylng I'lIIl.

tures.

HEDWIG ZUBROW. -[L.s.] EMIL SOLOMON. [Ls] In testimony whereof we affixour signa-

